Hey everyone, I'm managing Google Workspace for a large higher education institute and have been heavily relying on the OkGoldy and BulkyDuce add-ons for daily tasks like creating new users and managing groups. Unfortunately, OkGoldy stopped working some time ago and BulkyDuce just stopped functioning yesterday. I've also used GAM, but I really prefer a GUI approach over dealing with CSV files. I'm looking for a similar Google Sheets add-on to help with Google Workspace management, ideally something that's free. Any suggestions?
4 Answers
I totally feel you! Most of us faced this issue. OkGoldy and BulkyDuce really filled a niche that Google hasn’t addressed, especially for those who prefer Sheets. There’s no solid 1:1 replacement currently available. If you want to avoid GAM while keeping bulk actions simple, you could set up an Apps Script in a Google Sheet. It'll require some initial work, but you can create your own buttons for tasks like user creation and group updates, without the risk of a third-party add-on failing again. If you're okay with using a tool instead, GAT+ provides a full UI for managing users and groups without relying on Sheets or CLI, though it isn't free. Otherwise, you're mostly looking at GAM or smaller options like ezPanel or Gopher, which don't quite match the functionality those tools offered.
You might want to give GAT Labs a look. It's not a direct substitute for mass user creation in Sheets, but it offers a clean interface for managing users and permissions with great visibility over your Workspace activities. It especially shines in audits, allowing you to track changes and manage access more easily than sifting through logs or CSVs.
Finding a true replacement for OkGoldy and BulkyDuce is tough since those add-ons were pretty much direct interfaces for the Admin APIs in Sheets. Most tools now either lean towards CLI with GAM or full management platforms. If you're focused on GUI-style options, you could look at tools like gPanel, Patronum, or CloudM for bulk user and group management. Just keep in mind that these can get pretty pricey, especially if you're managing a lot of users. If your priority is to handle bulk operations without the CLI headaches, consider automating workflows with something like Zenphi. It can manage user creation and group updates, and it doesn't depend on add-ons.
What exactly are you missing in terms of functionality that Google Workspace doesn’t already provide?
Thanks a ton for the detailed reply! It's a bummer to learn there aren't any good replacements for those add-ons. I'll definitely check out Zenphi since the paid options are way too expensive.